When Ripken set reord for consecutive starts did he have to play a certain amount of innings to make it legal?

Question

Does a player have to play a certain amount of innings in order for it to be considered a start, or does he just have to be in the game one inning?

Answer 1

Your question mentions a record for consecutive starts. Ripken's record is for consecutive games played, although I believe he started all of them. He had many seasons where he played every inning.

You only need to make an appearance in the game to receive credit for it, but the game must be an official game. The night he played #2131, he had to play four and a half innings. At that point, the game became official. It was then that the banner was unfurled at Camden Yards.

Answer 2

Wow. Apparently few people know what the rule is.

First, Ripken's record is for most consecutive games played.

Second, to be credited with a game played, a player must play one half inning on defense or complete a turn at bat by reaching base or being retired. If a player is ejected from a game before he can fulfill either requirement, the streak continues.

Merely being on the field for one pitch is not enough. Merely being listed on the lineup card is not enough. Merely running the bases is not enough.

Ripken's streak didn't become official until the game in which he broke the record became a regulation game: 4 1/2 innings if the home team was ahead or five innings if the visiting team was ahead.

Answer 3

Jeremy H is right & so was everyone else pretty much. I was a big fan of Cal Ripken & his streak. I was talking to a local baseball card dealer recently about Ripken's streak & he wasn't really impressed because he said there were time in his streak where Cal would go 4 for 40, 3 for 30, ETC, & he said if that would have been any other player with those stats, that player would be benched. I would like to hear some of your thoughts about what he said. I think Cal Ripken & Tony Gwynn elected to HOF same year was great. Both first class people.

Answer 4

MLB rules 10.24(c) states,

"CONSECUTIVE PLAYING STREAK: A consecutive-game playing streak s hall be extended if the player plays one half-inning on defense, or if he completes a time at bat by reaching base or being put out. A pinch-running appearance only shall not extend the streak. If a player is ejected from a game by an umpire before he can comply with the requirements of the rule, his streak shall continue."

So, in short, the rule is either a half-inning on the field or one plate appearance.

Answer 5

Dodg recalls it well. The game had to be official -- four and a half innings is needed to put it in the books -- and when the Orioles came off the field after the top of the fifth, the banner on the warehouse changed to "2131", the game stopped for about 22 minutes (and the ESPN announcers, very much to their credit, didn't say a thing), Ripken took a very slow lap of Camden Yards while the crowd just cheered, cheered, cheered. It was an emotional event (much more than a mere "moment"), just a huge, heartfelt standing ovation.

Eventually they finished the game, Baltimore winning 4-2 over California, Cal himself pitching in with a solo homer in the fourth.

Ryan spells out the minimum "appearance" to continue a streak -- basically, anything more than pinch-running.

Answer 6

yes he did. he had to wait until the end of the top of the fifth inning so that the game would be counted. EXAMPLE: if the game was in the second inning, and he started the game, and the game was called due to rain or what have you, the game would not count and be scheduled to be made up at a later date. but if the top of the fifth inning was completed and then the rain came and the game was called it would be considered official and not need to made up.

Answer 7

A player only has to play an official game. If they record an official plate appearance and/or at least an inning in the field, then it counts as a game played.

Answer 8

Consecutive Starts is an NFL term; Ripken's record is for consecutive games. The answer is no. He could play for one out or one AB and it would qualify as long as the game was an official game.

Answer 9

Basically, he had to just be in the starting lineup. But the schools of thought shift between taking the field or taking the field and having one at bat. Officially, you only have to be in the field for one out if you are on the home team. If you're on the visiting team, and you don't record an official at bat in the first inning, then the being on the field rule takes precedence.

The last game that Lou Gehrig ever played was April 30th, 1939 Gehrig went hitless against the Senators. It was 2,130th game and would be his last. The next game to be played on May 2nd, Gehrig approached Manager Joe McCarthy and told him he was benching himself, that he could no longer play.

Answer 10

Yes, he had to play at least 5 innings of the game for it to count towards his record.